Carlos Alcaraz addresses exhibition criticism amid calendar complains
NewsWednesday, 15 October 2025 at 18:20
Updated at Wednesday, 15 October 2025 at 18:21
Carlos Alcaraz probably plays the most exhibitions out of all the ATP players, but he is also one of the loudest critics of the current calendar, which, according to some, is hypocritical.
Alcaraz is the current world No. 1 player, and as such, all of his words are closely followed. His words and his decisions might influence not only the current generation, but also the future generation of players and the sport itself.
One of the topics the 22-year-old emphasizes is the current calendar, particularly its length and density. Alcaraz, along with many others like Iga Swiatek, feels that the current calendar is way too busy, making it difficult for tennis players to attend all the tournaments.
Because of that, fans then can't enjoy the best of the best at every event, as the top players choose to withdraw from important tournaments and spend more time recovering than risking an injury or mental burnout.
Alcaraz is one of those players. He recently withdrew from the Shanghai Masters, even though that wasn't a scheduling decision, but instead a response to an injury suffered at the Japan Open in Tokyo.
Now, the six-time Grand Slam champion will appear on the tennis courts for the first time since his title win in Tokyo. He will play at the 2025 Six Kings Slam in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and there isn't a better event at which he could answer a question about his affinity for playing exhibitions.
Alcaraz played the Laver Cup this year, now he will compete at the Six Kings Slam, and he has at least two exhibitions lined up for the off-season. He is just someone who loves playing exhibitions.
However, as he said to PA news agency, he doesn't think that goes against his criticism of the current calendar, as he finds playing exhibitions and regular ATP events to be completely different in terms of mental difficulty.
"I think it’s a discussion that a lot of players and a lot of people are talking about with the calendar. How tight it is with a lot of tournaments and the tournaments of two weeks, and then making some, I’m going to say, excuses with exhibitions, how players are complaining about the calendar and then playing some exhibitions."
"All I can say is it’s a really different format, different situation playing exhibitions than the official tournaments, having 15, 16 days in row, having such a high focus and demanding physically. That’s why, because we’re just having fun for one or two days and playing some tennis, and I think that’s great, and I think that’s why we choose sometimes the exhibitions."
Despite sharing his opinion, Alcaraz also mentioned that he understands those criticizing him. His honest answer to this question might provide more insight into how a tennis player feels when playing at a regular tournament compared to an exhibition.
"Obviously I understand [the criticism], but sometimes the people don’t understand us, our opinions. When I see a lot of people complaining about how we are defending the exhibitions, I don’t understand them because, as I said, it’s not really demanding mentally [compared to] when we’re having such long events like two weeks or two-and-a-half weeks. It’s really tough."
Alcaraz's first match at the Six Kings Slam will come on Thursday, October 16th, 2025, against the winner of the first quarter-final match between Taylor Fritz and Alexander Zverev. Regardless of whether the Spaniard wins or loses, he will appear on the court again on Saturday, October 18th, either for a final or a third-place match.
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